Down At The Studio
by Chocolate X My Mouth
Summary: In this story, we take a look into the lives of the awesome cast at Joey Drew Studios! Get to know Henry, Wally Franks, Sammy Lawrence, Thomas Connor, Shawn Flynn, and everyone else at the studio as they go through their days. Whether it be at break time, hittin' the town, fighting in the snow, or even filling in for the band, there's always something going on down at the studio!
1. Chapter 1 - The Break Room

**Hey'a folks! First BATIM fanfiction I've written, so I hope I capture everyone well here!**

 **And before we begin, I'd like to apologize for not having Bertrum Piedmont or Susie Campbell be regulars for this. Bertrum... I couldn't find a spot for him. Hey may pop up once or twice. And for this, Sammy and Susie are married, but Susie left the studio to pursue a bigger music career, and let Allison be Alice instead of...what probably happened. Plus, we know so little about Allison, but I'd like to use this as an opportunity to explore her character. :)**

 **And don't worry! Susie and Bertrum both will appear! Y'all will like both, I promise... ;)**

 **So I hope everyone enjoys this! Lets meet the folks over at Joey Drew Studios! :D (PS: expect jacksepticeye references galore)**

 **AND DISCLAIMER: I do not own BATIM.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1 - The Break Room**_

Henry sighed as he looked at his stopwatch again.

" _11:57,_ " he thought to himself. " _Almost time for break..._ "

Joey Drew Studios was a very busy place. Now, there were downsides to working there, but to him, upsides outweighed them by a lot.

There were all types of people that could be found inside of the studios. Energetic, bubbly people, like singer/dancer Allison Pendle, toy man Shawn Flynn, and janitor Wally Franks. Serious people, like composer Sammy Lawrence, handyman Thomas Connor, projectionist Norman Polk, and finance manager Grant Cohen. Repair woman Lacie Benton, the newest member of the crew, was... a mix of both. She could be energetic and serious at the same time. And then, last but not least, there was the lyricist, Jack Fain.

It was a mixture of every emotion represented by one person.

And head of the studio, Joey Drew, was a man of ideas. And more ideas. And ideas more galore.

Henry Bayless, however, was probably a mixture of everyone in the studio. He was one who always prioritized work at the studio, and yet somehow managed to find time for fun. Everyone at the studio, regardless of their current status, could all agree on one thing, and that was that Henry was a very important part of the studio. Everyone seemed to like him, and his wife, Linda.

But actually, now that he was done thinking, he realized it was now 12:00.

"Finally!" he thought.

He then grabbed his lunch that was sitting next to a heating lamp, and began making his way down to the lower levels.

On his way down there, he ran into the janitor, Wally Franks. Wally was a tower to people like Shawn, Norman, and Allison, but everyone else saw him as just a bit taller. He wore a white button up with black pants and suspenders, and a brown cloth cap.

"Hey'a Henry!" Wally said, his cheerful demeanor ever present.

"How's it going Wally?" the artist asked nicely.

"Eh, its going a'ight," the janitor said, continuing down the stairs. "But hey, get this - I found those dumbass keys!"

"Woah, good job," Henry chuckled. Sarcasm could be detected, but not by much. After all, those keys did get lost pretty frequently.

"Thanks'a plenty pal!" Wally said.

Then, they finally reached the break room. Allison was looking down at a sketchbook, Sammy, Grant, and Norman were eating in the corner, Jack and Lacie were in a friendly game of darts with Shawn, and Thomas was turning on the gramophone. Joey, as per the norm, wasn't there, as he was having his break on the town.

"Hey folks," Lacie said, waving a small wave. Henry and Wally waved back, and made their way over to a separate table. "So like I said, no one can beat Shawn."

"Yeah! She's right you know," Shawn said proudly. He straightened his black tie and green vest with pride as Jack took a stand to face off against Shawn's dart skills.

"Please, take a minute to silence yourself," said Jack peacefully, aiming the dart mentally. He kept his bowler hat held high, and brown shoes adjusted to give him the right and precise angle to fire off the small projectiles.

He then rapidly shot three darts...

And landed nowhere near the bull's eye.

"I win!" Shawn said happily, throwing his hands up. Lacie smirked for the young toy man, then went out into the hall for her usual cigar. Jack smiled, and admitted defeat humbly. Shawn gave him a high-five before the two ended up heading off to grab a beer out of the cooler.

"Not a moment's peace around here," Sammy muttered.

Grant nodded in agreement, taking a drink of water. His tie and vest were shriveled for no more than a second (after he notices...). "I wish we had never bought that thing. It blew a hole in our finances, and not a small one."

"You're damn right son," Norman muttered, trying to eat his sandwich without hearing that stupid record scratching sound. He adjusted his glasses, before screaming out "THOMAS! Stop that!"

"Give me a second," Thomas said, turning to face the older man. His blue gray work pants, jacket, and black boots had dust covering them, and more than likely this would spread to the shiny gramophone.

"You better hope it takes no longer than that!" Norman yelled back, before returning to his "peaceful" meal with the other two at the current table.

Wally and Henry chuckled. The antics of their co-workers never once failed to put a smile on their face.

"Hey fellas!" Allison said, bopping over to their table. She wore a bright red dress, probably had the palest skin out of everyone in the room, and had black Mary Janes on her feet. "Do you have room for another?"

"Anytime," smiled Henry, pulling over a chair.

"What'cha sketching?" Wally asked the singer as she sat down.

"Oh, nothing much," Allison said. "Its just a little favor Joey asked..."

"He commissioned art? Never knew that..." Henry said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"No no no, he just asked me to get a dance routine ready for Alice in the animation department, and pick out a song for it," she explained. "Our choreographer, the one time we need him, is sick, and the guy who does the dubbing around here is on vacation, so... I have to fill in for both."

"Damn," Henry said.

"You's gonna do fine!" Wally said. "I've seen ya in action before; you can tear it up out on the floor! And ya singin' is pure enough to make demons dance with joy!"

"Aww... thank you Wally," Allison blushed. "Say, would you two mind helping me with something?"

"Not at all," the two said. Allison smiled widely, and motioned for them to follow her.

Thomas briefly looked away from the gramophone, before returning his full attention to the music-making machine.

Then, Shawn came up to him. "What's a-happenin' Tommy?"

"Its Thomas," the handyman corrected, "and not much. Just... listening to some smooth jazz."

"Ya like jazz?" asked Shawn. "I don't know's 'bout you, but I quite prefer swing."

"Swing is just a sub-genre of jazz," Thomas said.

"Really?" Shawn asked. "Well, uh... did ya hear about Mr. Drew planning Bendy Park?"

"Yeah, so what?" asked Thomas. "Just a theme park. Too damn many these days."

"Well, its known as a 'Colossal Wonder'!" Shawn said. He then smiled mischievously. "Like my peni-"

"You need to sit down son," Thomas muttered.

Shawn shrugged, and went over to where Jack was sitting.

Thomas then shrugged, and decided to see if he could find out where the three who had left earlier had gone off to.

Not like he had much else to do...

* * *

Allison was in the dubbing room, getting everything set up. She stood upon a wood board, microphones hooked up to hear her tapping sounds for matching up.

"We got the 'toons ready?" asked Wally.

"Yep, just give me a minute," Henry said. "Wait... didn't Joey ask Allison to choreograph this?"

"Oh...Guess he did," Wally muttered, looking from behind the microphone adjustment box. "Sorry Ally."

"No, its fine!" she said. "At least I can keep my sketchbook in here."

Suddenly, Thomas walked in. "What are you folks doing?"

"Dubbing," the three simultaneously answered.

"Hmm," Thomas said. "Mind if I stick around? I haven't got anything better to do."

"Pull up a chair in the opposite room," Henry said, smiling. Thomas nodded, and for a brief moment, looked like he had smiled.

"A'ight, we're ready!" Wally said, giving a thumbs up. "Don't sweat it, you's gonna do great Ally!"

"Thanks," Allison said. She always liked hanging out with Wally, whatever the circumstances be.

"Let's get started," Henry said, giving a supportive smile to Allison. He then walked in, and began searching for the most recent record. "Uh... which one was it?"

"Siren Serenade," Thomas answered casually. Wally looked at him with a shocked expression, while Henry's was more so impressed. "What? I know things."

Henry smirked. "Alright, let's get started..."

He then gestured for Allison to start dancing, to which she immediately began to do so. She looked so calm, so free... it was as if Allison had taken a back seat and a professional dancer had taken the wheel. Henry and Thomas were impressed, but Wally...

Poor fella had been swooned.

Wally had already shown signs of liking Allison (Henry, Thomas, and everyone else in the damn workplace knew), and Allison had shown signs of liking Wally.

It was just their obliviousness that kept them from acting upon their feelings.

"She's gorgeous ain't she?" asked Wally aloud. He then realized his mistake when Henry and Thomas started chuckling. "Fellas please don't go spreading this."

"Your secrets safe with us kid," smiled Henry. Thomas gave him an affirmative wink, and Wally sighed... he had quite literally dodged a bullet.

Finally, after the record had come to an end, Allison struck a grand pose. "Are we good?"

"We're great!" Henry said. "That was perfect!"

"You's did great!" Wally said, running out to congratulate her. "I told ya you could do it!"

"Thanks Wally!" she smiled.

Suddenly, Sammy came walking in. "Well I'll be... you two _weren't_ making out in the closet..."

The two blushed immediately. "Wh-what?!"

"Damn...I owe five to Lacie now," Sammy muttered. He then walked out like nothing had happened.

The four then looked at each other. Then, Wally spoke up, "Y'all's wanna go play those games? Factory guys should be in the town still."

Henry checked his watch. "We still have a half hour left."

"Let's kill some time," Thomas said.

"I call target practice!" Allison said cheerfully.

The dancer and janitor then proceeded to rush down to the warehouse, with Henry and Thomas following behind at a slower pace.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the break room, everyone else was awaiting Sammy's return.

When he finally walked in, Shawn immediately raced up to him. "Did they make out?!"

"Not yet," Sammy muttered. The room groaned loudly.

"How long's it gonna take them two?!" said Norman. "Makin' me sick watching them dance around their feelings, it really is."

"We must have patience," Jack said, facing the remaining crew. "It will all happen in due time."

"He's right y'know," Lacie said.

Grant sighed. "If only they would fess up... it would save us a whole lotta stress."

"I just want them to save themselves from stress," Shawn said. "But maybe that's why Allison became a dancer...to dance around her feelings!"

Grant jumped out of his chair and slapped him. "Boy, it was a career choice! Not done for feelings!"

"You don't know!" Shawn said. "I'll prove this to y'all!"

Shawn then sprinted out of the break room. Grant opted to chase him down, but Lacie stopped him. "Let the kid do his thing..."

Jack smiled. He liked seeing the family at Joey Drew Studios at peace with one another... because this was as close as it got.

* * *

Joey Drew, meanwhile, was down at the local cafe. He was coming up with several ideas for his latest cartoon, when he checked his watch.

"Hot damn, its 12:35!" he yelled. "I better get back! These ideas ain't gonna write themselves down!"

He then sprinted out of the cafe, making his way to his car.

He didn't forget to leave the tip, thank God... the waiter wouldn't be out for his head now!

Which meant all of his ideas were safe and sound.

And that made Joey very happy.

* * *

 **I hope y'all enjoyed my first crack at a BATIM fic! :D**

 **Next chapter will be called "Hittin' The Town"! You all won't wanna miss it! :D**

 **Thanks for reading! Drop a review if you wish too. They make my day. :D That's all for now! See ya soon!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Hittin' The Town

**Alrighty then folks, its time for chapter 2! I hope you all enjoy this, as it marks the first appearance of Susie Campbell in the story! :D**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! :D (DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BATIM, THEMEATLY AND MIKE MOOD DO. OR THE LYRICS USED, THOSE BELONG TO LOUIS ARMSTRONG.)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2 - Hitting The Town**_

Grant Cohen charged out of his office, running up the many flights of stairs leading to Joey Drew's office.

For _once_ , Cohen's appearance at Joey's door meant good news.

And still yet, it somehow had bad news to go along with it.

"Uh, Mr. Drew?" Grant asked, knocking on the boss's office door.

"Yes yes, come on in!" Joey said.

Grant walked in, and as usual, there notes and sketches everywhere for cartoon ideas and characters. "We have, uh good news boss!"

"Really? Bout damn time you brought some into this place, Cohen!" Joey said, standing up.

Grant sighed. "We have a five hundred dollar surplus after this year."

"We have a WHAT?!" Joey said in disbelief. "Five hundred dollars... five hundred! Cohen, I've waited a long time for you to bring some good news into this office! Looks like it finally paid off!"

"Well see, we need to use it by midnight tonight," Grant began, "or else we will have that cut out of next year's budget."

Joey then banged his head on his desk. "Uh...you okay there boss?"

"Dammit Cohen, why must you tell me this?!" Joey said. "You never bring, exclusively, good news to the office!"

"Boss, do you want me to deliver it straight or not?" Grant asked.

Suddenly, Joey's face lit up. "Grant, I got an idea! Gather all of the break room employees in the conference room, stat."

"You mean... the ones that work there?" Grant asked.

"Oh heavens no, they sleep all day," Joey said. "I mean the ones that visit there!"

"Oh," Grant muttered. "I'll, uh, round em up."

And about ten minutes later, after several lift trips and promising this was worth it, he had gathered all of the break room employees.

"What's all the fuss about?" asked Wally, once everyone had sat down.

"We have a five hundred dollar surplus!" said Joey.

Everyone in the room clapped gleefully. "But we have to spend it by midnight, or that's cut out of next years budget." Everyone groaned.

"Use it for new equipment," Lacie suggested.

"Buy new instruments!" Norman said.

"Use it for more sturdy pipes and safety equipment," Thomas suggested.

"NO!" everyone simultaneously screamed.

"Okay... since we all can't agree on an idea," Joey said, "I'll pick one."

"Uh oh," Shawn whispered to himself.

"We're gonna spend it at the town Ritz ballroom!" Joey said.

Murmurs of agreement spread through the room. Thomas and Lacie didn't look too sure about it, but everyone else seemed okay with it.

"We have to dress elegantly, right?" Allison asked.

"I'd think!" Joey said.

Now there were looks that said, as Wally would put it, "I'M OUTTA HERE".

"Ah come on fellas, it'll be fun!" said Joey. "Plus-"

"No can do, Mr. Drew," Sammy said. "I got places to be."

"Where?" asked Joey.

"Did I stutter?" asked Sammy. "Places to be."

"Huh... well you have fun then!" the studio director said. Sammy nodded.

"When do we have to be there?" asked Henry.

"8:00 sharp!" Joey said. "We'll all be outside."

Suddenly, the clock in the room went off, and Joey checked his stopwatch. "Huh... what do ya know. Its 5! See ya tonight folks!"

And with that, the employees all left.

* * *

 _ **8:00, that night**_

Henry arrived in a very uncomfortable suit that night at the Ritz ballroom, but he just kept telling himself "it would be worth it". And Linda was off visiting her mother, so that made him happy she wouldn't be alone that night.

"Henry!" Allison called over, wearing an elegant dress. Wally and Thomas stood nearby, with similar suits to Henry's. "So glad you made it!"

"I's burnin' up man!" Wally said.

"Don't worry, I share your pain," chuckled Henry.

They saw Jack and Lacie making small talk over on the wall, with Lacie bickering about how she "didn't think she fit in her dress", and Jack was just nodding and agreeing. Shawn was in a suit, yet somehow managed to keep his cloth cap instead of wearing a top hat like Joey. The man in charge even had a cane to go with it...

You could probably tell Grant was just there for the bar, along with Lacie and Thomas. Shawn and Jack were there for the music, and the rest were there because they knew they had to use the five hundred dollar surplus.

And Norman... well we don't know why he was there. Other than the fact it was mandatory, and he didn't have a good excuse, that is.

"We ready gang?" Joey said.

Nods went around, and they all entered.

"HOLY SHIT ITS LOUD!" Shawn yelled as soon as they took one step into the building.

"It truly is," Jack muttered to himself.

"This is gonna be a long-ass night," muttered Lacie. Grant and Norman didn't even wait to be seated at the table, they were already off to go have a drink.

However, when everyone did end up being seated, one table consisted of the remaining eight employees. Complimentary wine was available at the table, which was almost immediately non-existent thanks to Thomas and Shawn.

Suddenly, the waiter came over. "Hello there folks! What can I get you all to eat tonight?"

Joey's eyes said "order the most expensive thing ya like", so that's exactly what they did.

"There wasn't anything under ten bucks! This place is fancy as hell," Wally said.

"No joking," Allison said.

"Wait just a minute," Shawn said. "I-Is that Sammy, up there on the piano?!"

"Holy crud," Jack muttered. "He thought he could sneak away..."

"Sure don't look like 'im," Lacie said.

"Why not?" Thomas asked.

"Well I'll tell ya," Lacie said. "He's smiling!"

"Huh, 'ell I'll be!" Wally muttered.

"He does look pretty happy, to be fair," Allison said. "I'm glad for him."

"Same here," Henry said.

"Well once he gets down, I'm gonna congratulate him!" Joey proclaimed.

"I think we should just let him be," said Henry. "Who'd wanna wipe the one smile he has off of his face tonight?"

So then, over the course of the next hour, everyone ate their food and made conversations with one another around the table.

Suddenly, about half an hour after everyone was done eating (two hours spent at the Ritz), the music stopped, and everyone applauded. Sammy then stepped off stage.

"Uh oh... he's a-coming this way," Wally muttered.

Sammy was indeed walking their way. "Hey fellas..."

"We understand why you didn't show up, Lawrence!" Joey said. "You were already on your way!"

"Its nit just that," Sammy said. 'Not only is Susie performing tonight-"

"Holy cow! Good for her!" Jack said.

"...Thanks, Fain," said Sammy, before continuing. "Anyway, our drummer just called in for having a broken hand."

"Well damn," Lacie muttered.

"Susie is up next!" Sammy said. "And we need a damn drummer!"

"We got a human drummer," Wally said, gesturing to Allison, who blushed madly.

"Thanks Franks, but we need one who can...oh forget it," Sammy said.

"WAIT!" Shawn exclaimed. "I can do it!"

Sammy looked unsure. "Kid, I swear-"

"I wouldn't joke about this sir," Shawn said. "I understand that your wife needs to uphold her rep, and I don't intend to make a mistake. If I'm good at one thing, its toy making - drumming is right behind that."

Sammy sighed... "I better not regret this kid."

"You won't!" Shawn said. "When is Susie's performance though?"

The announcer suddenly started speaking at the center microphone.

"Loosen up those hands boy," Sammy said, before the two walked up on stage.

"Best of luck Shawn!" Jack said.

The rest gave thumbs up's and waves as Shawn stepped up to the drummer's drums. Sammy sat down at the piano, and Susie Campbell-Lawrence stepped up to the stage.

"She's beautiful..." "Lucky man..." murmurs through the audience rang.

Susie nodded to Sammy, and he began to press the keys. Shawn shortly followed with the drums, looking over at the music. And he was pretty damn good!

" _You see my heart gets a thrill, my feet won't keep still,_ " Susie sang, " _I feel such a thrill, oh, when they swing that music! Rhythm like that..._ "

It was at this point that couples started getting their groove on the dance floor. Jack held out his hand for Lacie, who declined politely. However, Allison grabbed Wally and headed over. Henry and Joey were laughing at Wally's "misfortune", and even Thomas cracked a smile. Shawn looked like this was the hardest he had ever worked to do something, ever, and Grant and Norman...

Well they were having fun.

Susie then started singing a random scat solo, and Sammy seemed even happier than before. Only his wife was capable of making him feel this way. Meanwhile, you could see Shawn had regretted wearing his coat to drum, although he was having fun.

She then finished her solo, and let Sammy and Shawn take over. Wally and Allison were having a great time on the dance floor, Joey was kept entertained with Henry and Thomas, Jack was drinking his wine, and Lacie was chuckling at the antics of the fancy people. Grant was telling Norman drunken tales, and Norman was taking it all in. He had only drank a shot of Brandy, while the finance manager had drank down three shots of whiskey.

And then, the song came to an end. The couples applauded as Shawn, Susie, and Sammy took center stage and bowed. They then stepped off, and while Shawn went back to his table, Susie and Sammy made their way off to the backstage area.

"How ya feeling pal?" asked Thomas, chuckling.

"I FEEL LIKE FIRE!" screamed Shawn. Everyone at the table laughed at the youngster.

Suddenly, Wally and Allison walked back over. "Best dance ever, Ally! Thank ya for a whoppin' good time!"

"Indeed it was! No trouble!" Allison said cheerfully.

"Well, we've got our ticket," Joey said. "Hmm... $432.45. Lets hope those drinks Cohen and Polk ordered were expensive."

"Lets indeed," Henry said.

Wally helped Allison put her coat back on, to which she responded with a huge smile. He loved seeing Allison smile. Jack pushed in Lacie's chair, to which she nodded in approval. Henry, Joey, and Thomas simply stood up, and went off to fetch Grant and Norman.

When they got there, Grant was a laughing mess. Norman was watching with a smile.

"Cost of the drinks is $67.55 boss!" Norman said.

"Hot damn, five hundred on the dot!" Joey smiled.

Everyone cheered for the surplus being spent whole and wisely - on a night at the Ritz.

And it was a night that the crew would forever remember.

Especially Grant, because he was the one who had to do all the paperwork in this scenario.

* * *

 **Okay guys, Susie will have another few chapters and play a bigger role, I promise! :D**

 **Next chapter will be called "Band Together"! Hope you all will enjoy it! :D See all you folks soon!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Snowed In

**And we're moving right along to chapter 3! :D this one's a bit shorter than the last, but I hope it's still good. :D**

 **Hope you guys all enjoy! (and I changed the chapter name cuz I like this idea more than the previous one hehe)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3 - Snowed In**_

Joey Drew sighed as he looked out the window in his office...

It was 5:30, and snow had piled up outside so much that all of the buildings looked to be smaller than usual.

It didn't look like any of the crew would be able to make it home today. The snow was too thick!

Suddenly, Thomas walked in. "If you think I'm shoveling all that snow out-"

"Don't count on getting the job, Mr. Connor," Joey sighed. "No one will...no one's even gonna get home in this damn weather."

Thomas sighed.

"So, you wanna break the bad news or should I?" asked Thomas.

"Lets do it together," Joey muttered.

Thomas nodded, and walked out with Joey. All of the regular employees were in the break room, chatting about the large snowfall.

"Attention everyone!" Joey called out. "Due to...uh...the snow, all the roads have been closed down and you all can't get home."

Groans echoed across the room loudly.

"Why you gotta bring bad news everywhere Grant?!" Wally yelled.

"Me?! I had nothing to do with this!" Grant exclaimed.

"Boys, calm down," Lacie grumbled. "We ain't getting home, that's that. I don't see the problem."

"You gotta spend the night with these loudmouths," Jack whispered to her.

Lacie suddenly froze. "Yep, there goes my somewhat-pleasing mood..."

Allison suddenly stepped up. "How about we all go out and play in the snow! We're done with work anyway!"

"That's... an excellent idea Ally!" Wally said. "How bout's it, Joey?"

"I agree, Franks! Allison, what a grand idea!" he said. "Alrighty folks, get your winter clothes on 'cause we're gonna play in the snow!"

"You think there's enough to catch me from jumping out the window?" asked Shawn to no one in particular.

"Depends on which floor you're comin' from son," Norman muttered.

Shawn smirked... he was gonna have fun with this.

"With all due respect, I believe I'll be staying inside while you all enjoy the snow," Jack said. "I do not particularly enjoy this type of weather."

"I'm with Fain," muttered Lacie. "I ain't got no interest in winter like you folks."

"Well then, more snow for us!" Joey said.

"Friendly reminder - we need our coats," Henry said, putting his finger up. He didn't want any of his fellow coworkers to get too cold.

"Thanks man, we would've totally forgotten," Grant muttered.

"Knowing some of these folks," Norman whispered, "they probably would'a."

Henry chuckled. Norman wasn't wrong.

* * *

Everyone, meanwhile, was messing around in the snow.

Allison and Henry were making snow angels, Norman was off chilling a drink on a podium Joey had brought down, Sammy was sitting on a nearby bench, Shawn and Wally were having a snowball fight, and Thomas was standing off on the side with Grant. Joey, meanwhile, was laughing at everyone's antics.

"I'm gonna drown you's in snow Flynn!" yelled Wally, tossing a snowball.

"You wish!" Shawn yelled back, tossing another snowball after evading Wally's attack.

Suddenly, Wally got hit in the face with a snowball... but not by Shawn.

He looked to his side, and Allison stood there with a smug smirk on her face. She was trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Ally?!" Wally yelled, exaggerating pure sadness. "How could ya do this to ya ol' pal?!"

"That's just how the cookie crumbles," Allison shrugged.

"HA!" Shawn laughed.

Wally then stood up, and dusted himself off.

"I didn't wanna have to do this," he muttered, "but ya ain't left me no choice."

"Uh oh," Joey whispered to Sammy, who was standing off to the side.

"What do you mean by that?" Sammy asked, nervous that a certain amount of snow was about to find its way into people's faces.

"I mean that shit's about to go down," Joey said.

"TAKE COVER!" Henry suddenly yelled.

As Sammy dove for the bench, all hell broke loose. Snow was flying in ever direction, from hand to face to other body parts.

It explained why Shawn was squabbling on the ground a minute ago too...

Anyway, Thomas stood off toward the sideline with Norman, who was still trying to make his jar of whisky colder by holding it out in the cold.

"You gonna join the fight?" asked Thomas.

"Nah," said Norman. "I prefer to let em all have their fun."

Suddenly, a snowball came flying out of nowhere and hit Norman square in the face.

An unmatched fury in Norman Polk turned to face toy-man Shawn Flynn, who was very apologetic and scared at the moment.

"Sorry sorry sorry Norman!" Shawn yelled.

Norman calmly took a deep breath, and then looked at Thomas.

"Hold my beer," he said, gesturing to his whisky bottle.

Thomas looked at him like he was insane. "Huh?"

"Hold. My. Beer." Norman repeated.

"Its whisky... but sure," Thomas shrugged. Norman then picked up a handful of snow, and Shawn had the fear of all fears put into his eyes.

"You better run boy-o!" yelled Joey from across the "battlefield".

Norman then screamed at the top of his lungs, and Shawn broke out into a sprint as the projectionist chased him.

Grant then walked up to Thomas out of nowhere.

"What do you want?" asked Thomas.

"A moment of gosh dang peace," Grant said.

Thomas smirked. "Me too... me too."

* * *

Jack and Lacie, meanwhile, were enjoying themselves in the warm studio break room. Jack had made hot chocolate for the both of them, and Lacie was currently downing her cup.

"I prefer smaller sips of such a hot drink," Jack muttered, smiling at how Lacie downed her's in huge gulps.

"Well, that's just your philosophy," she muttered. Jack laughed a bit, raising his cup to that statement.

"Y'know, Fain... you ain't that bad," Lacie said.

"Why thank you, Ms. Benton," he smiled. "I always enjoy knowing I am liked by my fellow coworkers."

"You're also strange," Lacie added.

"Aren't we all?" Jack asked. "Not trying to sound-"

"I know what'cha mean," Lacie said.

Jack smiled...

Lacie wasn't normal. But that suited him just fine.

"Besides, you know a wrench from a steamroller!" Lacie chuckled, "Unlike those warehouse folks..."

Jack laughed at this comment.

Because thankfully, it was true.

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter seemed short! I'm just now getting back into the swing of writing lol.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys in the next chapter - "Sammy's Birthday"!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Sammy's Birthday

**Woohoo! Chapter 4! I honestly love writing for this story :D I hope you all are enjoying it as well!**

 **And special thanks to guest JOHNHAMMOND1993 for the suggestion of Bertrum; I will keep that in mind my friend! :D**

 **So without further ado, here is Chapter 4 - Sammy's Birthday! :D**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4 - Sammy's Birthday**_

Sammy Lawrence was not a fan of surprises. Had never been; the last time he had been surprised was when Susie gave him a private party between the two of them, and that was something he only pretended to be surprised for, as to not hurt his fiancee's feelings.

So in other words - he hated surprises.

He also hated people getting worked up over his birthday; he didn't see the bug deal about it. He had turned one year older, it was like they were celebrating the fact that he was one year closer to dying... on the bright side, however, it meant he was one year closer to retiring and enjoying his remaining days with his wonderful wife, Susie.

The thought of them sitting on the porch of a beach house, holding hands and smiling at one another, made him smile and chuckle a bit.

"Hey'a... Lawrence?"

Happiness faded from Sammy's face, and it was replaced with his usual scowl. "Yes Franks?"

"I can't find my stupid keys again!" Wally exclaimed. "Could ya lend a hand for a sec?"

Sammy sighed, trying to swallow the urge to punch Wally in the face, "Sure... where did you last see them?"

"That's the thing, I think they disappeared about thirty minutes ago," said the janitor.

Sammy sighed. "Well then... this should be fun."

"Let's hope!" Wally exclaimed. "I don't wanna be bored!"

Sammy and Wally walked down a flight of stairs, dug through a few waste bins, and then...

Entered a pitch black room.

"Dammit Franks, what kinda bullshit are you pulling?" asked Sammy, looking anywhere for the light switch.

As he turned it on however...

"SURPRISE!"

His fellow coworkers jumped out at him, and there was a table with a cake that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMMY!", along with gift boxes and balloons.

"There's the birthday boy!" Joey said. "Thirty seven years old, eh?"

Sammy however, was fuming at the seams... his coworkers knew damn well he hated surprise parties.

There was only one sentence he could mutter without blowing a fuse.

"Where's... Shawn?"

Suddenly, footsteps were heard coming down the adjacent hall. The door to said hallway was open as well...

"LIKE A BOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

Shawn jumped through the door, and slammed his body into the table. Things went flying everywhere, the cake smashed into pieces and covered the toyman's back, and the presents were mushed.

"Worth it," he cringed.

"Whoa..." Sammy muttered.

"Y'know what, screw it," Joey said, letting Shawn be helped up by Lacie and Thomas, then throwing a match into it all. The fire quickly caught, and Joey lit a cigarette with it.

"Want one?" he asked Sammy, handing it to him.

Sammy accepted, and was confused as to whether he should be happy or ecstatic Shawn just did this.

"We're gonna all go to the bar tonight," Jack smiled. "This was just a set up, there is now surprise party."

Sammy was...truly happy at that moment.

"We're sorry for... causing you to think that," Allison said.

"Here's to hoping we get into a bar fight," Norman said, raising a glass of water.

"Oh boy..." Henry muttered.

"This should be fun," Thomas chuckled.

"Someone please put that out before we all die," Grant said, gesturing to the fire.

"I'll get the extinguisher," Lacie grumbled.

"WORTH IT!" Shawn screamed.

* * *

Sammy pulled up to the bar where he was told to meet the gang at eight o' clock on the dot, "Freddy's Drinks and Pizza". It was an odd name for a bar, but he wasn't complaining - the place did have top-tier pizza after all.

"Hey Sammy!" Henry called from the door. "C'mon in man!"

Sammy smirked at his coworker's antics, and walked over to where he was standing. Deep deep down, he really did enjoy Henry's company. Aside from Susie (obviously), he was one of the few coworkers the songwriter could probably spend a full day with.

"How you doing Henry?" Sammy asked, smiling.

"Just fine!" Henry smiled. "Oh, and also, Linda's here too!"

"Awesome," Sammy smiled. "Now, I believe that Brandy bottle is callin' my name."

A few minutes later, Joey and Grant walked over to where the two were seated. "Hey Lawrence! Whaddya think of tonight?"

"This is... honestly a really nice treat y'all," said Sammy.

"Glad ya like it Lawrence!" Joey said. "Now, I'll go open a tab! Drinks are all free!"

"How'd ya do that?" asked Grant.

"Oh, I know a guy..." Joey chuckled. Everyone began to look suspicious, so he immediately told them that the bar owner was a friend of his who owed him a solid.

"Hey...where's Franks and Polk?" asked Grant.

"Ask Ally, she was the last one to see em," said Joey.

Suddenly, the stage pianist got up to the center mic. "Well, what a fine crowd we have here tonight! And its especially appropriate that you all are in fancy clothing tonight... because we got a special treat for y'all. Please welcome the jazzy workshop sax and trombone duo, Golden Boy and The Projectionist!"

Everyone applauded as the two jazz artists took the stage...

And were revealed to be Wally and Norman, clothed in solid black suits, shades, and hats.

"What a fine evening we have here," smiled Norman, speaking softly into the mic. "And I'm proud to say that there's a man here who I can call my friend, and not just my coworker."

"And he's got a birthday today... so we're dedicating this first song to him," Wally smiled. "Play the 'Sammy Jam' fellas."

Sammy's mouth had dropped. It really hadn't; it was more of a normal gasp radius. But for him, that was a BIG mouth drop. Everyone else who worked with the two were shocked out of their mind, and Allison was pretty sure she was about to pass out.

"Damn," Thomas chuckled. "That's what I call entertainment..."

"I just knew there was something special about those two," smiled Jack.

"You boys know where Flynn got off to?" asked Lacie, coming up to the two with a full bottle of whiskey in her hand.

"Yeah, the hospital," Thomas said.

"Poor fella cracked his back and broke a few other bones from the jump," Jack sighed.

"Damn," Lacie muttered.

Sammy, however, was just swept up in all that was happening before him...

If it weren't for the fact that he and Susie had gotten engaged on his birthday, this would be his favorite one yet.

The rest of the night consisted of dancing, jazz music, and above all...

The upcoming bar fight.

"Hey you," a random dude said, walking over to Allison. "You look like you need a man to spend the night with... how about you come home with me?"

"What the hell? Ew, no!" she gasped.

"And besides," Wally said, running over from out of nowhere and shocking both of the two, still clothed in his jazz music garb, "she's my friend. Back off pal."

"You think I care because you're famous?" the guy snorted.

"Hold up Goldie," said Norman, walking over. He then began to chug the bottle of alcohol down swiftly, then wiped his face. "Now watch this."

He then smashed the bottle over the dude's head, and began to scream. "REMEMBER WHO YA FRIENDS ARE! NOW, LETS FIGHT BITCHES!"

"FOR SHAWN!" Lacie screamed, grabbing a chair. However, when she swung it, she knocked out Jack. "Whoops... Sorry bout that Fain."

"Oh, its quite alright," Jack said, before passing out.

And then it all was a ruckus. Drinks, people, chairs, and a stuffed giraffe flew everywhere across the bar. Sammy, Henry, and Linda, however, calmly sat at the actual bar, having a drink.

"So, how's your all's day been?" asked Sammy, downing a shot.

"Eh, pretty good," Linda said. "Sugar?"

"I'd say its been fun," shrugged Henry. "Oh, happy birthday Sammy."

"Thanks ol' pal," smiled the composer.

And with that, the three toasted to the pretty good day, as Grant's rarely-heard war cry echoed throughout the bar.

* * *

"You all really didn't have to do this," smiled Sammy. He was currently in the backseat of his car, but Linda and Henry were driving him back to his house.

"Well, we felt like you deserved it," Linda smiled.

"And plus, we're pretty sure we're getting the next week off anyway," Henry said, turning down a street. "Half of the employees that attended are now hospitalized, Wally and Norman are suing that guy who attempted to pick up Allison, and Grant will probably wake up with a really bad headache."

Sammy chuckled. "Y'know... I know I can come across as cold and unnerving, but in all seriousness, you're a great friend Henry. I'm sorry if I don't always show it, but I really appreciate you and Joey for organizing this. Thank you."

"No problem!" Henry said. "But everyone had a hand in it..."

"It had that 'Henry Bayless Seal of Effort' though," Sammy said, smirking.

"We'll have to get that as a trademark," Linda laughed.

A few minutes later, the car pulled up at Sammy's secluded house in a far-away place. He and Susie bought it because it was the nicest one for both atmosphere, looks, and it was just a good damn deal. And no neighbors either!

"You take care Sammy," Linda said. "Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday man," said Henry, smiling. "Tell Susie we said hi!"

"Will do," smiled Sammy. "Thank you both. Have a wonderful night."

The two smiled at him, told him goodbye, and drove off.

As Sammy entered the house, however, he noticed it was candle-lit instead of lit by light...

And Susie was sitting in the middle of the kitchen, with a lovely looking dinner prepared for just the two. And she had on her favorite turquoise dress, which was also Sammy's favorite dress of hers.

"Hello darling," she smiled sweetly. "Did you have fun?"

"Y-Yes, most certainly," he said. "What about you?"

"Eh, same old same old," she shrugged. "Acting can be kinda boring... but how was your day?"

"Pretty eventful," he chuckled, laughing a bit. "Shawn broke his back, Joey might have accidentally killed someone, but I'm actually 100% certain he's just paranoid, and half of my crew is in the hospital. Some guy tried to hit on Allison... and, oh, get this-Franks and Polk have jazz band alter egos called 'Golden Boy' and 'The Projectionist'!"

Susie was laughing quite a bit at this. "Wow! You certainly had fun today!"

Sammy smiled warmly at his wife.

"Yes... yes I did."

* * *

 **And for now, that's all folks! :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I think it may be my favorite one yet lol.**

 **Next chapter, the staff will be having a Halloween party! and they'll also be having a power outage! XD**

 **See you guys soon! :D**


	5. Chapter 5 - Who Murdered Joey Drew? (I)

**Hey guys! Chapter 5 already, woohoo!**

 **And I know I said this episode was gonna be Halloween themed, however, I got an idea for a 2-part AU that I think you all will absolutely love. :D And without further ado, here is the Detective!Henry AU - "Who Murdered Joey Drew?"**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5 - Who Murdered Joey Drew? Part 1**_

 **Summary - Detective Henry Bayless and his trusty partner, Sammy Lawrence, are investigating a murder that has everyone who knows about it stumped. Close people to the victim, like butler Wally Franks, cook Lacie Benton, store clerk Shawn Flynn, newspaper writer Jack Fain, bank accountant Grant Cohen, and plumber Thomas Connor are puzzled about. So when receptionist Allison Pendle presents the case to the two detectives, and Norman Polk is currently off duty, the present trio are ready to take on the mystery, and solve the question that is on everyone's mind once and for all... Who murdered Joey Drew?**

Henry sighed happily as he began to fill out his last worksheet... He enjoyed being a detective, but it was more so paperwork and writing things down than interrogating suspects and solving murder mysteries; but when the occasion arose where he needed to solve one, he would gladly take it.

Sometimes he wondered if Norman ever wanted to trade jobs for the day...

But as he gave his signature on the last page of his paperwork for that night, Sammy Lawrence, his trusty partner and right-hand-man, burst through the door, panting.

It was definitely an emergency... Sammy was always calm and collected whenever he was in Henry's office.

"Hey hey, what the hell Lawrence?" asked Henry. "You alright?"

"No, we just got our biggest case yet, and I don't know what emotions I should feel... its all so new to me..." he muttered.

"Boys! Get a move on!" Allison Pendle, the receptionist, called from the hall. "You've been called to investigate the murder of millionaire playboy, Joey Drew!"

Henry smiled widely, and was at the coat rack in less than five seconds.

"No time to waste Lawrence!" he yelled. "The game's afoot!"

"What do I do with the reports?" Alison asked.

"Sit them on my desk, and join us!" Henry said, grabbing his hat. "You deserve a piece of the action!"

"I'm in heels!" she said.

"Ginger Rogers does everything Fred does, only backwards _and_ in heels!" Henry said. "Come at once! We shall run there! It'll save a fortune on gasoline!"

Sammy sighed and grabbed his coat and hat, while Alison quickly sat down the reports.

"Sorry Ms. Pendle," Sammy muttered.

"Oh, its alright! I've always wanted to do a case myself!" she said.

And with that, the three set off on their trek to beginning the greatest investigation the department had been presented with.

* * *

"We know the investigation just began, Detective Bayless," Chief police officer Bertrum Piedmont said, "but I can already tell my boys won't be getting anywhere with this case anytime soon. We just had to call the professionals."

"You made the right choice, Chief Piedmont," Henry said, pulling out his notepad. "So, can you describe to us what you could tell?"

"Well... he looked like he had been stabbed," Bertrum said. "Lost a lot of blood... I could tell that the murder hadn't occurred to long before we were informed."

"How could you tell?" asked Sammy.

"Well," Bertrum began, but suddenly, Butler Wally Franks walked over. "You fellas the detectives?"

"That we are," Henry said. "This lady is Allison, our receptionist."

"A true honor, m'lady," Wally said, kissing her hand.

"Ooh, such a gentleman," Allison cooed.

"Butler Franks, you wouldn't mind if we asked you a few questions, would you?" asked Sammy.

"Absolutely not!" Wally said, gesturing for them to come in. "If you all will follow me, we'll go to the one place there's no police."

"Thanks for your help, Chief Piedmont," Henry said. "I know you and Joey didn't always see eye to eye, but still. Thank you."

"No trouble Detective," smiled the chief, before tipping his hat and walking off.

* * *

A few moments later, the detectives, receptionist, and butler were deep in questions and answers.

"When was the last time you saw the deceased before the incident occurred?" asked Sammy.

"Just last night, brought the man a cup of coffee," Wally said. "He then said if it wasn't how he liked it one more time, he'd have my head! I'm tellin' ya, the man pays well, but he's a nightmare! If he'd'a lived to see the next day, he would'a been signing his last check to me, cause I'm outta here!"

Henry chuckled a bit. "So, were you aware of the murder before the police were contacted?"

"Nope, I ain't seen Chef Benton today," said Wally. "And she's the one who made the call. Body was discovered in the music room, slouched over the piano. Real gruesome, so I won't get into the nitty-gritty."

"Thank you," said Allison, smiling. Wally nodded with smile.

"So...anything else you want to tell us?" asked Sammy.

"Well... I can give you the names of everyone he's close with, I'd suggest interviewing them too."

Henry then wrote down all of the names as Wally listed them. They were bank manager Grant Cohen, his plumber Thomas Connor, his chef Lacie Benton, local newspaper writer Jack Fain, and grocery store clerk Shawn Flynn.

"Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Franks," Sammy said, getting up and shaking his hand. "The department will be in touch."

"No trouble sirs, and madam," said Wally. "Don't hesitate to call me if anything is needed of me."

"Will do," Henry said.

With that, Wally bade them all farewell, and the trio headed off to see chef Lacie Benton.

* * *

"Yeah, Joey and I were... close," Lacie cringed. "And by that, I mean we said hello and goodbye to one another, I prepared his food, and he signed my checks."

"I see..." Sammy said. "If this was the definition of close when it came to Joey, would you consider anyone else closer to him than you?"

"Lord yeah, that nut-job Grant Cohen," Lacie muttered. "Damn fool regrets ever taking up his position at this place. Truth be told, I feel kinda bad for him... had no idea what he was getting himself into when he signed off on the deal."

"We should talk to him next," suggested Henry.

"Will do," Sammy said.

"Thank you so much for your time, Ms. Benton," Allison said.

"No trouble," she said, smirking. "Now get outta here, I gotta cook up a meal for my traumatized co-workers. And keep an eye on that butler... something about him don't seem right."

"Will do," Henry nodded.

* * *

"Oh good Lord... oh sweet mama," Grant whispered to himself.

Sammy, Allison, and Henry looked at one another with concern clear in their eyes... this man had gone insane by the looks of it.

"So, uh.. sir, we're aware that you worked for Joey Drew as his finance manager," Sammy began. "Were you close with the deceased before his death?"

"Oh yeah, he made me do a lot of the work," Grant muttered. "Fellas... please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad that man is gone. He gave me so much work to do... and just the thought of finally being able to relax-"

"Sir... you're not saying your happy he's dead, right?" asked Allison.

"In a sense... yes, I am saying that," he said. "I mean, granted, I wouldn't wish such a horrible fate as LITERALLY being stabbed in the back on my worst enemy, but... the man was a terrifying one. Everyone who worked for him feared him, and you wanted to make sure you were as distant from him as could be whenever you were on duty."

"When were you informed of his death?" asked Henry.

"Oh, heavens... mere minutes after it happened," he muttered. "As a matter of fact... you could say I was at the crime scene. Oh sweet Jesus, I'm sorry, that was meant to be worded differently. I was on the phone with Mr. Drew mere minutes before the murder happened this morning."

Suddenly, plumber Thomas Connor walked past the room in the hallway.

"Oh,Thomas!" exclaimed Grant. "Come come!"

Thomas groaned, and walked in.

"Hello, Mr. Connor," Sammy said. "You did Joey's plumbing work, correct?"

"Eh... I guess," Thomas shrugged.

"Would you say you were close with him before his death?" asked Allison.

"Look... let's skip all the bullshit," he said. "Joey wasn't the guy you all think he was. When I went deep down into the lower levels of this dude's mansion, aka rooms no tourist/visitor would ever see... I saw things. This dude was into some freaky shit... pentagrams, odd objects, and those splats I saw? Probably blood stains. He paid me three times my salary to keep me quiet..."

There was a short pause.

"Right after he threatened my existence with just one word. He's a psycho and into a lot of stuff; he may have stabbed himself to jail an innocent, for all we know."

The three in charge of the investigation grimaced, and Grant was near fainting.

"Look..." Thomas began. "I can tell you guys the person who knows the most about him apart from me... and its not this wimpy accountant."

"Give us his name, and we'll not press charges against you for not talking," Henry said.

"I-I don't think we could do that anyway..." Allison whispered.

"Shawn Flynn, works down at the local supermarket," said Thomas. "Somehow that sly bastard probably has all the info on Joey you need to piece this mystery together..."

"Are we even sure he didn't do it?" Grant suggested.

"Look, trust me," said Thomas, "if he did, he'll be damn good at hiding it. I'd probably be the only one who could tell if the evidence he gives you is false."

"Then come with us," Sammy said.

"We need all the help we can get," Henry said.

Thomas sighed reluctantly. "You guys are lucky my fiance's out of town today."

* * *

Shawn Flynn was just minding his own business, organizing shelves and items at the store, as per the usual.

"Mr. Flynn?" Henry asked, appearing with his three "teammates" out of nowhere.

"Sweet Lordy-loo!" yelled Shawn. "Oh, hey Thomas! These folks with you?"

"Other way around, dude," he whispered.

"Have you heard of the death of Joey Drew that took place recently?" asked Sammy.

"Ha, that old fool kicked the bucket this year! Ya owe me ten bucks Tommy!" chuckled Shawn.

"Sir, we believe he was murdered, and the knife lodged in his back was pretty damn good evidence," Allison said.

"You aren't making a good case here," Thomas whispered.

"Oh... well, what do you need me for?" Shawn asked.

"We need to see what evidence you've got that could help us out," Henry said. "Your buddy here said you could be our only hope."

"I didn't directly say that," Thomas disclosed.

Shawn nodded. "Fear not gentlemen... and lady. Together, if you will follow me, I believe we can crack this case."

* * *

 **Hohohoho, the plot thickens! :D I hope you all are enjoying this little AU!**

 **To help out a bit - I'm going to eliminate one of the characters from the suspect roster (in other words, they definitely are NOT the killer) - local writer Jack Fain. Everyone else... keep an eye on em folks. ;)**

 **See you guys soon! :D**


	6. Chapter 5 - Who Murdered Joey Drew? (II)

**Hey guys! Its finally time for chapter 6, and we're gonna finally know who the culprit behind Joey Drew's murder is!**

 **(and also... anyone here a fan of the show Parks and Rec? Its my favorite show and if anyone wants to talk about it I think we'll be good friends. XD)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6 - Who Murdered Joey Drew? Part 2**_

 **Summary - As Henry and Sammy begin to dig deeper into the case of Joey Drew's murder, a wrench that gets thrown in out of nowhere twists everything on its head... but its revealed that this is how it should be. With all the clues in front of them, waiting to be pieced together, they are ready to make an arrest. Continue reading to figure out the twist you didn't see coming, and discover once and for all... Who murdered Joey Drew?**

Shawn began to walk slowly down the grocery store aisles, trying to quietly inform the four present about one thing - Joey Drew was clinically insane. There was some shit he saw while exploring his mansion that no human being should ever have to witness.

Finally, they headed down to the basement, and found a lock-box about the size of a briefcase.

"I know it doesn't look like much on the outside... but trust me," Shawn said. "What's in here is worthy of a full-on investigation."

The four nodded, and Shawn slowly opened the case...

Notes upon notes upon pictures of disturbing stuff no normal, sane person would say is good began to pour out.

"Better get looking, there's a lot of stuff here," Shawn muttered.

"We better take this back to the station..." Sammy muttered, panting a small bit.

"Thank you for all your help, Mr. Flynn," Henry said, slowly putting everything back into the briefcase.

"I gotta get back to work, that and punch out," Thomas muttered."Even if the boss is dead, I need money."

"My shifts over too," Allison sighed. "Honestly guys, I hope you all find the killer soon."

"Thank you Ms. Pendle," Sammy said.

"Good luck fellas... I can tell you'll need it," Shawn sighed.

"Thanks Mr. Flynn," Henry said, shaking his hand.

With that, the two detectives walked their separate way from the other three, trying to process what the hell they had seen...

Because Shawn was right.

Joey Drew was probably clinically insane, and these pictures and notes only added to that theory...

But nothing pointed towards a potential murder culprit.

This would definitely take some time.

* * *

Henry and Sammy were now in their private room, going over the stockpile of evidence Shawn had given them...

But it didn't point them anywhere useful as to who could've killed him.

"Okay...we've ruled out suicide," Sammy said. "There's no way he could've stabbed himself from that angle, or at all... he would've needed help, and we still need to find that guy."

"There's barely any fingerprint evidence," muttered Henry, looking at the other pile of pictures from the police department. "Chief Piedmont took a single look at this evidence and he already knew we were gonna have one hell of a time solving it..."

"That lazy fat-ass just doesn't want to do work," muttered the tall, dark haired detective Sammy. "Either that or he hates Joey so much that he wants to reward the killer."

"Bertrum did despise the man..." shrugged Henry.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Sammy answered it, and on the other side, Susie Campbell-Lawrence and Linda Ludgate-Bayless stepped through, holding cups of coffee and a bag of medicine.

"You boys are working the graveyard shift, huh?" Linda chuckled.

"Guess so sweetie," Henry sighed. "Gah, what time is it?"

"Its 8:30, most of the department has gone on home," sighed Susie. "C'mon guys, come home..."

"I can't rest knowing there's a murderer on the loose, darling," Sammy sighed.

"Fine, just be home before 10," Susie sighed. "Stephen will be asleep by then, but he misses you."

"I'll be there to tell him goodnight," Sammy smiled.

"Don't think you're off the hook either, you best be back by 9:30," Diane warned, although she was inwardly proud of her husband for being so dedicated to making the town a bit safer.

"You got it, ma'am," Henry smiled.

Diane and Susie then kissed their husbands, and began to walk out of the station. The two detectives sighed...

"We best be going with them," Sammy sighed. "We can sleep tonight knowing we'll catch him before lunch tomorrow."

"But what if he goes after someone else? An innocent civilian," Henry began. "I can't go home feeling safe when I know someone else's life is in danger."

"Henry, we've seen a pattern with the murders we investigate," Sammy said. "They all seem to wait for the current victim to lose its attention before striking. If you're right, and we catch him tomorrow, no one else will fall victim to him. C'mon partner, go home... for both of our sakes."

Henry sighed. "How are you always wise like this?"

"I'm Sammy Lawrence, what did you expect?" he chuckled. "Oh, but before we do go, lock up the knife. We don't want to lose our main piece of evidence."

"Will do," Henry smiled.

And before the next minute struck, Sammy and Henry joined their wives to go to their respective homes.

* * *

 ** _The next day..._**

It was a Friday, and Sammy and Henry walked into the building well-rested.

"Ready to solve the case boys?" Allison smiled as they walked in.

"Yes ma'am!" Henry smiled.

Suddenly, former butler Wally Franks climbed out from under her desk. "Ms. Pendle, your A/C unit is fixed!"

"Oh thank you, Wally," smiled Allison. "You're so handy!"

"I always wanted to be a handyman! But then... well, you know the story," he shrugged. Allison giggled a small bit.

Sammy and Henry, meanwhile, chose to leave the two alone and head on down the hall. They then ran into the station's interrogator, Norman Polk, who was speaking with newspaper writer Jack Fain.

"Bayless! Lawrence!" Norman smiled. "Glad ya could make it. We gots ourselves a biggie today!"

"And I'm here to document the thing," Jack smiled. "This case has generated a lot of press and profit. I'm not happy a man was murdered, but I think my bank account is."

Sammy and Henry looked at one another.

They were gonna be happy once this case had been closed for sure... it was attracting too many weirdos to the station.

"Let's get this over with fellas," Sammy said.

With that, the four walked into the private room, and began to conduct the investigation once more.

* * *

"Well what doesn't make sense is how quickly Lacie could've made the call," Sammy muttered. "We know the murder was committed mere minutes before she walked in... she's suspicious to me."

"That cheeky little butler is trying to get in good in the receptionist's books," Norman muttered. "I think he's just trying to rule 'isself out."

"I don't know... I feel like its someone who wasn't even close with it," Henry muttered.

"Could be," said Norman. "Lotta folks in this town hated Joey's guts. He was well liked and well hated both."

"Really, it wouldn't shock me if someone in the damn police force killed him," Sammy said.

Suddenly, Henry stopped working.

Everything in the room started coming together...

"Sammy, you're a genius," he muttered.

"Why? I'm flattered, but how?" he asked.

"Norman, quick! I need the key to this drawer!" Henry exclaimed.

Norman tossed the key his way, and Henry unlocked it...

"Just as I thought," he smirked.

"What?" Norman asked.

There was a pause...

"The murder weapon is gone."

"How?!" Sammy yelled. "No one else had access to this room before us! And I swear to all that is holy, if one of the interns did it-"

"Guys, think!" Henry said. "Who else has access to this room, would have a reason to steal evidence and not be suspicious, would want as little to do with the case as possible, but most of all... hates Joey Drew?"

Sammy and Norman looked at one another, slowly piecing together the clues.

"Detective Lawrence," Henry smirked. "I think we're ready to make an arrest."

"I'll get the cuffs," Norman smirked.

"Let's go pay a visit to Chief Piedmont," said Sammy. "He's gonna want to hear this."

With that, the three ran out with a picture in hand.

Meanwhile, Jack Fain sat in the corner.

"Huh..." he muttered. "Why do I always miss the action?"

* * *

Chief Piedmont was looking at some reports when the three burst in. "Whoa whoa fellas, what's going on?"

"We found the guy who murdered Joey Drew!" exclaimed Sammy.

"Well hot dog boys, congrats!" Bertrum said happily, standing up. "Who is it?"

"Come over here and see his picture," Henry said, "You won't believe it..."

"Alright," Bertrum muttered, standing up.

He walked over, placing his hands behind his back...

But was quite shocked at the picture.

It was...

Himself.

Suddenly, he felt metal slipping around his wrists. Norman had handcuffed him.

"What the hell are you doing fool?!" yelled Bertrum.

"Bertrum Piedmont, you're under arrest for the murder of Joey Drew," Norman Polk said. "You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can and will be used against you in court."

"LET ME GO DAMMIT!" he yelled.

"C'mon you disgrace," Henry said. "Joey Drew may have been insane, but no one deserves to be literally stabbed in the back."

With that, Norman grabbed Bertrum's arm and led him out the precinct and to his police car.

"Another case in the bag for Lawrence and Bayless," smiled Sammy.

"Indeed," smiled Henry. "But I honestly didn't see that coming..."

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this little two-part AU special! I may do the Power Outage arc next, or maybe another Halloween idea that involves the crew at a manor. XD**

 **See you guys soon!**


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